


Quoniam in Aeternum (Love is Eternal)

by iamtheoneinthehole



Series: Animi, Animus et Anima [5]
Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-03
Updated: 2014-09-03
Packaged: 2018-02-16 01:35:09
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,449
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2250960
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iamtheoneinthehole/pseuds/iamtheoneinthehole
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Griffon O’Connell had been six years old, and attempting to chase after a ladybug with a stick, when she’d first heard a soft voice whisper something in the back of her head...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Quoniam in Aeternum (Love is Eternal)

**Author's Note:**

> This acts as somewhat of a prelude/companion fic to the main verse. I've been wanting to write a fic that sheds a little more light on Griffon's story for a while now so I hope you all like it! Enjoy!

Griffon O’Connell had been six years old, and attempting to chase after a ladybug with a stick, when she’d first heard a soft voice whisper something in the back of her head.

_...just wish you could hear me._

_Hello? I_ can _hear you… I think._

 _You can?_ A sudden rush of joy burst through her system, feelings she somehow knew weren’t her own, even if she hadn’t quite grasped the concepts of left and right or the big numbers yet. Somehow she just _knew_.

 _Yeah…_ She wasn’t really sure what to say next, her lips drawing into a concentrated frown as she tried to remember what mommy had always said she should start with when talking to new people. _I’m Griffon._

 _Gri-ffon… sounds pretty._ Something about the way the voice said her name, even if it sounded a little wrong, made her smile. Because in a way it also sounded _right_ … maybe it was both? Could something be both? She’d have to ask her daddy later.

 _Thanks... What’s your name?_ She suddenly felt another feeling, this one a little more shy… like how she felt whenever mommy’s friends, the Da-co-tas came over and brought with them their kids that Griffon was meant to play with. The boy was kind of nice and smiley but his sister scared her a little, enough that she’d rather play with herself when they were gone.

She wondered if maybe she was being like that sister right now. _Sorry, you don’t have to-_

_Nah it’s fine, I’m David._

Griffon smiled a little at that. _I think your name is prettier._

_Nuh-uh._

_Uh-huh._ She giggled a little, abandoning the ladybird to focus in a little more on the voice, _Uh-huh no returns times infinity so there._ A faint warmth seemed to unfurl within her chest in response that was both hers and not. She wasn’t entirely sure who this David was, or why she could hear him in her head… but she was pretty sure she liked him.

_I still say you’re prettier._

_But I just said-_

_I wasn’t talking about your name._ She wasn’t sure why that made her feel all warm and fuzzy inside but she knew those feelings _were_ her own, like someone had just taken a big snuggly blanket and wrapped her up from head to toe. Yes, she _definitely_ liked David.

\----

It wasn’t always easy to hear her friend. Somedays she could hear his voice clear as bell, to the point that he’d keep her up at night sometimes, talking about adventures they both wanted to go on one day or spooky stories that they both pretended not to be scared by (but were often part of the reason that neither of them could get to sleep in the first place).

Other days though, a haze seemed to settle between them, to the point that Griffon could barely hear, or feel, anything from her new friend at all. Apparently that was normal though. Most people didn’t get to hear too much from their ‘special friends’.

That was what her mom was calling it. She still wasn’t entirely sure what the knowing grin that usually accompanied those words meant, but she couldn’t really argue with the wording. Because David _was_ special, specialer than any other friend she’d ever made, and so that just made every little chat they shared all the more special to here.

She was pretty sure that went both ways too given that every time she heard from him, there was always something that sounded like relief in his tone, a relief he was not alone in showing as they’d sink into the growingly familiar comfort of each other’s companies, forgetting for a moment how fleeting and temporary it could be as the focussed on the here, now and the important questions that both demanded… like who would win in a fight, batman or wonder woman?

And when she didn’t hear his voice, sometimes for weeks on end, she’d play back the little snippets of conversations they’d had, take comfort in the cadences in David’s tone, learn them inside out to the point where she felt she knew his voice better than her own. She supposed that was a good thing really because, this way, she knew that when she eventually met him face to face, she’d know, even from a mile away.

\---

 _Hey Davy._ Griffon smiled as she flopped down on her mattress, sending a few stray algebra books flying in the process.

_I’ve told you not to call me that._

_Got it… Daaaaaaavy._

_You’re such a brat._

_Yeah but I’m your brat._ She could feel him grinning at the other end of the connection they shared.

 _Yeah I guess. How’s high school?_ Griffon sighed a little at that, flopping back against the mattress again in the attempts to emphasize her mood towards that particular conversation topic across their bond. Judging by the amusement she felt in response, it seemed she’d managed to get it heard loud and clear.

_Kinda sucked, had to dissect a frog._

_You couldn’t do it?_

_Nah, did it just fine once my lab partner stopped being a baby about it. Couldn’t even look at the thing before we’d even started._

_To be fair, I probably couldn’t either._

_Yeah well you own five cats because you couldn’t bear to see them go to bad homes or get put down, I’m pretty sure at this point that you apologize to ants when you accidentally step on them._

_They’re just trying to make their way back to their homes and-_

_Oh my god you actually do. Just when I thought you couldn’t be any more of a dork._

_Yeah, well I’m your dork._ Griffon laughed a little at that.

_Touché… how’s training._

_It’s… challenging._ Griffon did her best not to let her wince carry across the bond, getting the sense that she hadn’t quite succeeded moments later when a sudden string of guilt suddenly seemed to snake its way back across to her. She was trying not to let it show, to stray strong and keep her own feelings on the matter locked away but… the thought of Davy, of _her_ Davy, caught in the middle of enemy lines, especially when she was still yet to meet him was just… honestly more than she could bear most days.

And yet she had to, because David needed her to and ever since that summer’s day when she was six, she’d never quite been able to say no to the man.

All the same though, it was hard sometimes to be what he needed her to be, when any second a few months from now she knew her whole world could come crashing apart. Because time and experience had taught her that people only got the one ‘special’ friend, as well as what being special entailed and… how could she, or anyone, possibly bear losing that?

_Well you’ve never been one to back down from a challenge right?_

_True, how else would I deal with you?_ Griffon did her best not to let her amusement at that carry across, again miserably failing in the attempt. Maybe it was that they heard from each other so little, or simply that she never truly felt the desire to conceal it, but she’d never quite managed to figure out how to hide _anything_ from her David.

_You’re getting a slap for that when we eventually meet you know._

_I know. That puts us up to about 26 now right?_

_23\. I deducted 3 as a reward for good behavior during my midterms this year._

_Still, my face is going to be raw when you’re done, people are going to be worried._

_I guess I’ll just have to kiss it better afterwards then._ Griffon let out a light happy laugh at the sudden surge of excitement mixed with joy she received in response.

_I’m holding you to that you know._

_You better._

\----

Two months later and Griffon was stood in an airport hangar, hands clutching her portable suitcase in a death grip as she scanned the crowds for the face she’d always told herself she’d know at first sight.

In the end he didn’t even give her a fair chance to guess, his hands sliding over her eyes as an all too familiar voice murmured, “Guess who,” against her ear. After that the world seemed to narrow into a flurry of motion ending in the warmest hug she’d ever experienced, her arms latching themselves around David’s neck as he twirled her around in a way that had her a little giddy from more than just the spinning.

“You’re here.”

“I’m here.”

“We’re here.”

“Very astute observations O’Connell.” She socked him in the arm without even thinking about it, lips curling into a grin at the pout she was offered in response, something about the expression so ridiculously endearing to her that she couldn’t help but kiss it away.

The dazed look she was met with when she finally pulled back was probably the most beautiful goddamn thing she’d ever seen in her life.

\----

“Did you draw these?” Griffon turned from the coffee maker, running a hand idly through her ruffled hair and vehemently trying to ignore the light flush that came to her cheeks as she nodded, “They’re incredible.”

“You really think so?”

“Of course I mean… look how intricate this stuff is. It’s miles beyond anything I could ever do. I sucked at art, even stick figures were beyond me.” She laughed a little at that, some of the tentative shyness she’d felt before easing off a little as she wandered over to him.

“I actually prefer carvings. Something about the textures of wood just speaks to me I guess… I’ve never really had anyone tell me my stuff was good before.”

“Yeah? You’re officially surrounded by idiots then.”

“So you’re the only smart man I’ve ever met?”

“Exactly.”

“God help us all then. If everyone else is dumber than you, we’re all doomed.” She let out a noise embarrassingly close to a squeak as David’s arms closed around her waist, lifting her off the ground and spinning her a little in retaliation, “Case and point.” He laughed a little at that, finally letting her back down onto her own two feet.

“Touché… I guess then, if we _are_ all doomed, better make the most of the last few moments we have left.”

“David I’m literally wearing your shirt and nothing else right now, we can probably skip the cheesy pickup lines that sound like they belong in a d list rom-com-”

“Come on, that’s gotta be at least b list material… anyway, that’s not my point. My point is… none of us ever know how long we’ve got left but, I know for sure that I want to spend every second of however long that happens to be with you.”

“David I-”

“Will you marry me Griffon O’Connell?” A slightly delirious laugh escaped her lips in response.

“Does that question really need answering?”

“Well sort of, you see if you say no I’ll probably have to take the ring back.” She rolled her eyes, taking his face within her hands, one of her thumbs gently smoothing across his cheek.

“Then _yes_ , you insane, idiotic dork of a man.”

“Hey, but I’m your insane, idiotic dork.”

“Yeah you are.”

\----

Neither of them ever did quite make it to fulfilling the promise they’d made to each other that night.

It’d only been a week or so after that when David had received orders to go overseas, a relatively simple post she’d been told, minimal risk, her bondmate would be fine… she wished now that she’d fought them harder on it, that she’d clung to her initial disbelief or had somehow seen the signs of the utter devastation that assignment would wrought.

_Dear Miss O’Connell,_

_We deeply regret to inform you-_

...No.

_-that Lieutenant David Washington-_

NO.

- _was killed in action on Friday the-_

Those words of the letter still echoed in her mind, the rest remained unread, something about the harsh unforgiving print that’d delivered the news a little too much for her to bear as she’d shut herself away and fallen head first into a sense of denial that she wasn’t entirely sure she ever truly wanted to shake… because doing so meant accepting what’d happened and Griffon was pretty damn sure she _never_ wanted to be able to come to terms with that.

\----

It never stopped hurting.

When she’d been a little girl and a friend of hers had lost their father her mother had taken her aside, consoling her with the promise that grief got easier after time… it hadn’t been until she’d been faced with grieving of her own that she’d realized what utter bullshit that was. The pain never _ever_ stopped, not once not ever, not in the years that’d passed, not in the years to come she imagined either.

And why should it? When she’d lost that special, irreplaceable piece of herself that she needed to make her whole, and had lost it forever.

It wasn’t fucking _fair._ They’d still been kids, had their whole lives ahead of them. They were meant to grow up, get married, have kids, settle down, grow old together. They were meant to have time and even when he’d first enlisted and she’d begun to cast a little doubt on that final fantasy of hers, she’d never once imagined, even in her darkest nightmares, that their time together would be cut this short…

It wasn’t until she finally came face to face with the man who, from then on out, would prove to be the closest friend she’d ever have that she begun to gain a little perspective on how, despite the injustice of her circumstances, she’d also been lucky. Because for all the suffering she’d been through, at least David had never once ever _dreamed_ of shutting her out.

“I think he hates me Griff, and the worst part is… I can’t even figure out why. None of us can.” She felt her break all over again that day, though for once it wasn’t for her, but for the man sat opposite her, a dead look in his eyes that reminded Griffon just a little too much of what she saw whenever she dared to meet her own gaze in the mirror, far too much for a man whose bondmates were all still breathing…

It was then that she silently avowed to herself to track this bondmate down, whatever it took, because even if she knew that half dead look would always linger in her stare now, it didn’t mean she had to condemn Geoff to the same fate.


End file.
